Apparatus and method for slicing food products

An apparatus for slicing food products,

• having a cutting region at whose end a cutting blade moves in a cutting plane;
• and
• having a transport device which transports products to be sliced in a direction of transport over one track or a plurality of tracks to a takeover device being configured to take over the products from the transport device and to transport the products to the cutting region;
• and
• wherein the takeover device is shorter than the transport device when viewed in the direction of transport,
• wherein the transport device in the or each transport track comprises a plurality of positioners for the products simultaneously driven in the direction of transport and arranged spaced apart from one another in the direction of transport,
• wherein the transport device is configured for a cyclic transport operation with continuously consecutive transport cycles,
• wherein the cyclic transport operation of the transport device is coordinated with the operation of the takeover device,
• wherein the transport cycles respectively comprise a movement phase with product compartments moving in the direction of transport and a waiting phase with stationary product compartments, each of the product compartments being a section of the transport device which is provided for a single product and which is associated with one of the positioners,
• wherein the takeover device is configured to raise or to lift the products, that have been taken over from the transport device, for transporting the products to the cutting region.

A method for slicing food products:

• in which the products to be sliced are transported in a direction of transport over one track or multiple tracks by means of a transport device to a cutting region at whose end a cutting blade moves or to a takeover device being configured to take over the products from the transport device and to transport the products to the cutting region,
• wherein the transport device in the or each transport track comprises a plurality of positioners for the products simultaneously driven in the direction of transport and arranged spaced apart from one another in the direction of transport, the method further comprising the steps of:
• loading the products onto the transport device to associate each product with one of the positioners;
• positioning each product with the respective positioner, thereby defining the position of each product on the transport device with respect to a direction of transport defined by the transport device,
• transporting the so positioned products to the cutting region or to the takeover device being configured to take over the products from the transport device and to transport the products to the cutting region, and
• slicing the so transported products with the cutting blade.

A method for slicing food products comprising

• operating a transport device in a cyclic manner to provide waiting phases of the transport device and movement phases of the transport device;
• loading the products onto the transport device, each product being loaded onto the transport device either during a waiting phase or during a movement phase;
• transporting, in said cyclic manner with said waiting phases and movement phases, the products in a direction of transport over at least one track to a cutting region or to a takeover device being configured to take over the products from the transport device and to transport the products to the cutting region;
• and
• slicing the transported products with a cutting blade.